


Tradition

by rachel_exe



Series: Valentine's Day one-shots [2]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Canon Era, Fluff, M/M, ererivdayexchange2k19
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-13
Updated: 2019-02-13
Packaged: 2019-10-27 15:05:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,205
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17769062
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rachel_exe/pseuds/rachel_exe
Summary: Eren bakes something special for Levi as a sign of his love.





	Tradition

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This is my gift to [Depressedandlazyanimator ](https://depressedandlazyanimator.tumblr.com/) for the Valentine's exchange. I really hope you like it, it's set in the canon universe but not in specific moment, definitely not during the recent developments in the manga, so you can imagine this happened whenever you want! :)  
> Please enjoy! <3

The quiet murmur of people talking and the clatter of utensils hitting the plates echoed in the dining hall. Having already finished his dinner, Eren lazily scanned the room with his head propped on a hand and his eyelids half closed. He didn’t focus on anyone in particular, but his eyes often went to the table where his superiors sat and lingered for a few seconds longer before moving away, leaving him more flustered than before when Levi met his gaze.

His attention was suddenly caught by what was happening at the table next his where a boy had walked up to a blonde girl and was giving her a small packet. The girl looked surprised for a second before her ears turned red and she shyly opened the present. Inside there was something that looked like a sweet; it was rather small, but the girl seemed really happy to receive it. 

“I once read lovers used to gift each other sweets once a year as a sign of their love,” Armin explained, looking at the scene as well. 

“Why only once a year?” Jean asked next to Eren, glancing at the couple. 

“Apparently there was a set date for people to do that.” 

“What a dumb tradition,” Jean scoffed. 

Eren’s eyes were still trained on the happiness painted on the girl’s face before quickly moving to the table where Levi was eating his dinner. 

What a dumb tradition indeed, he agreed. So dumb, in fact, that the following day he asked Sasha if she knew any sweet recipes and less than two days later he was in the kitchen of the headquarters, baking instead of enjoying the rare day off. 

He had managed to get some flour, sugar, butter and a couple of lemons to make the lemon tart Sasha had recommended to him. The sweet wasn’t too hard and even if not a cook, Eren was pretty confident he’d be able to do it. 

He worked quickly, aware that the meeting his superiors were having could have been dismissed at any moment. Usually, those things took almost all day, especially before an important mission, but Eren didn’t want to run the risk of Levi walking into the kitchen right when he was baking something for him. 

An hour later, the small tart was ready and Eren put it in an empty wooden box he had found in one of the kitchen cupboards. He went to his room and hid it under his pillow for later. That evening, he left the dining hall earlier than usual, briefly glancing at Levi before leaving. He took the box from his room, a couple of candles, and a blanket, and slipped a note under Levi’s bedroom door, then headed outside. 

The stars and the moon brightened the cool night and the crickets filled the air with their rhythmic calls. Eren sat under a tree in the clearing in the middle of the woods where he and Levi often met. He laid the blanket underneath him, aware that his superior would have never sat on the bare soil, lit the candles, and sat down to wait. 

Every time Eren waited for Levi to arrive he couldn’t help but remember all the times they had gone there to seek the privacy and tranquility the main building didn’t always allow. They had been meeting in the same spot for some weeks now, either to take comfort from each other after the missions outside the walls or to simply spend the little free time they had together. It had taken a lot of courage and patience for Eren to win Levi’s heart and sometimes he still felt like there was a gap between them that he didn’t know how to fill, but Levi had never missed one of their meetings and Eren’s chest warmed up at the memory. 

He was still lost in his thoughts when he heard the sound of leaves cracking under someone’s feet and seconds after, Levi appeared in the clearing. He was still wearing his uniform and as he got closer to him, Eren could see the dark circles under his eyes and the tired expression on his face. 

“Hi,” Eren greeted him. 

“Candles?” Levi asked, raising an eyebrow. “What have you done?” 

“Nothing,” Eren blurted out, face suddenly heating up. “I just thought it’d be romantic.” 

Levi was more surprised than before but didn’t say anything and sat next to Eren. 

“How was the meeting?” Eren asked. 

“Long and boring.” 

“Where are we going next?” 

“Let’s talk about this tomorrow,” Levi said with evident exhaustion morphing his features. “Why don’t you tell me what’s going on here?” 

Eren suddenly regretted ever coming up with his plan. Now that he thought about it, it was as dumb as Jean had said and it was even worse considering Levi was the one he was about to give the sweet to, but it was too late to go back, so he swallowed the lump in his throat and bravely explained: 

“The other day Armin said that people used to gift each other sweets as a symbol of their… love, so I made this for you.” 

He took the wooden box and gave it to Levi. The man looked at the object with eyes full of surprise and Eren secretly rejoiced for it. 

“Open it,” he exhorted. 

Levi looked at him and then again at the box before taking the lid off. The tart was there, admittedly not very pretty, but Eren hoped the taste would make up for its looks. 

“Is this why the kitchen looked like a mess before?” Levi asked. 

“Hey, I cleaned it,” Eren protested. 

“You still missed some spots.” 

“I’ll clean it again later, just eat the cake now, please” Eren told him, shoving a fork in his hand. 

Levi’s mouth twitched but didn’t move from the usual stern line. He carefully took a small piece of the tart and brought it to his mouth, chewing a few times before swallowing. 

“Do you like it?” Eren asked, biting his bottom lip. 

“It’s good,” Levi said and this time his lips curved upwards in a way that made Eren’s heart flutter. “Here, have some,” he added, handing the fork to him. 

Eren took a bite as well, a part of his mind freaking out because he was using the same fork as Levi and was surprised when the sweet taste hit his tongue. 

“It’s not bad,” he said. 

Levi still had a small grin on his face, something Eren didn’t see very often, so he smiled back at him before leaning in and kissing Levi’s lips. Levi didn’t back away, but wrapped a hand behind Eren’s neck, grazing his nape with his fingers. Like every other kiss, it filled Eren with butterflies and left him with the need for more, but Levi soon pulled away, hand coming to cup Eren’s face and thumb caressing his cheek. 

“Thank you,” he whispered. 

“I love you,” Eren blurted out, unable to hold back. 

Levi fought the smile that wanted to take over his lips, but his will wasn’t strong enough and a corner of his mouth inevitably turned up. 

“Me too,” he replied and showed it with another kiss. 

**Author's Note:**

> [ My Tumblr ](https://rachel--exe.tumblr.com/).


End file.
